Blue Bells of Scotland
by StormWolf10
Summary: AU. Broadchurch crossover. 6th in the 'A Second Chance' series. Alec, Rose, Tony, Freya and Oliver head to Scotland for Christmas, but with an ex-wife on the warpath and a surprise for the kids from Donald, it's unlikely it will be a relaxing holiday for all involved...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Another multi-chapter fic! Been working on this for a while, and yeah it's a Christmas story, but hey…**

Alec Hardy was very determinedly fighting the impulse to bash his head against the steering wheel of his car. Why he'd agreed to his father to drive up to Glasgow for Christmas, he couldn't quite remember, but he was becoming very much aware that it was one of the stupidest decisions he'd ever made. They were stuck in a huge line of traffic, stretching further than they could see, all people hoping to make it away for the Christmas break. Oliver was screaming in his car seat, Rose ineffectually trying to calm him from the front passenger seat, and Freya and Tony were continually bickering over which radio station they wanted to listen to. They'd just gotten a new car, and Alec was already regretting the decision, as it had come with a load of- in Alec's opinion- unnecessary gadgets, including giving those in the back passenger seats the ability to change the radio station. In fact, that was probably why Oliver kept crying- Tony was continually leaning over his nephew to reach the controls for the radio above the baby's seat. The car itself was good enough, but Alec was growing very tempted to just dismantle the radio and throw it out the window. The radio switched, every twenty seconds or so, from Radio 1 to a station Alec was unfamiliar with, and then back again. It had been going on virtually since they'd left Broadchurch almost two hours ago, and Alec had had enough.

"Right," he growled suddenly, glaring at the unmoving traffic in front of them, "that's it."

The radio was switched off then, much to the protests of Tony and Freya. Rose blinked, and looked over in surprise.

"Bloody radio," Alec muttered under his breath, ignoring Rose as she smirked slightly.

"Alec!" Tony whined from the back of the car while Freya turned her attention to her mobile. "We were listening to that!"

"No you weren't," Alec countered, sighing in annoyance as the traffic only crept forward a couple of feet. He shifted the car into gear and drove forward for a few seconds before having to break again. "You were bickering. It's been two hours and you still haven't decided on a station, so it's going off."

Oliver was still sobbing and wailing in his car seat, Rose barely managing to reach behind her seat to rub the little boy's kicking leg, trying to calm him.

"When's the next service station?" Rose asked Alec quietly, glancing over at him with a small frown.

"Not far," Alec responded. "But we won't get there at all if this bloody traffic doesn't shift."

"Why aren't we staying in Broadchurch for Christmas, anyway?" Freya asked with a frown, glancing up from her phone.

"Your Granddad invited us up," Rose shrugged, "and I think he caught your Dad unaware." Rose smirked, glancing over at Alec again. "Agreed to it before he realised what he'd done." She paused. "Besides, it'll be nice. Your Granddad hasn't seen Oliver since just after he's born, and I'm sure he'd like to see you and Tony again, too."

It was true; Donald had gone back up to Scotland when Oliver was six weeks old, and the little boy was now six and a half months. His dark brown hair had grown even longer, strands of it sticking up from his head as if by static.

The traffic moved again then, inching forward. But then, they'd ground to a halt again, and Alec groaned.

**~StormWolf10~**

By the time they were pulling into a service station, Oliver had cried himself to sleep, and even Tony was getting a bit drowsy. It had taken them another half hour just to get to the service station, and Alec really hoped that their stopping off would mean the traffic would ease off a bit. It would be a seven hour trip anyway, without the traffic holding them up even further. And so, they herded the kids out of the car, Freya still on her phone while Tony immediately crossed to Alec's side. Rose spared a glance at the boot, before deciding it was too much hassle to try and extract the buggy from the- in Alec's words- bloody Tetris game their boot had become, with the suitcases and Christmas presents all strategically placed to get them all in. Instead, she lifted the still-dozing baby into her arms, hefting the nappy bag over one shoulder.

"Food first, then?" Alec asked Rose quietly as they headed towards the doors of the service station.

Rose nodded.

"Yeah, and we'll make Tony go to the loo while we're here," Rose responded. "Else he'll wait until we're back in the traffic and he'll want a wee. Change Oliver's nappy, too. God knows how long we'll be stuck in that traffic."

They were inside the service station by now, Freya still fiddling with her phone while Tony wandered along beside them.

"We can turn around and go back," Alec suggested to Rose quietly. "Phone Dad and tell him the traffic was too much. God knows how long we'll be in that traffic, and if Oliver's going to scream the entire way…"

"But we've already promised your Dad, now," Rose pointed out, voice quiet. "And Freya and Tony. Besides, he can't exactly send their present down in the post, can he?"

Alec sniffed and slowed to a halt, looking around. The service station was teeming with people; families heading to relatives' houses for Christmas, businessmen going home, people visiting friends and delivering presents…

"Right," Alec announced suddenly, holding his hand out for Tony, who took it with a small grumble about being eight years old. "What do you guys want for lunch?"

They quickly settled on a small café in the corner of the service station, choosing sandwiches and drinks before seating themselves at a table.

"Will there be snow in Glasgow?" Tony asked around a mouthful of tuna sandwich as he sat, kicking his feet against the legs of the chair he was on.

"Dunno," Alec responded, taking a sip of tea. "There might be, but I can't guarantee it."

Tony's shoulders slumped then, and he went back to eating his sandwich. Freya was only picking at her meal, fiddling with her phone.

"And would you put that bloody phone away, Freya," Alec sighed in annoyance, reaching across the table for it. "Work can cope without you for a few weeks. We're on holiday now."

**~StormWolf10~**

After a run to the loo with Tony, and a feed and change for Oliver, they were back in the car, and back in traffic. It had eased up somewhat from earlier, but was still rather busy. It was hours before they finally reached Glasgow, dusk having long fallen, and both Tony and Oliver asleep. Even Freya was dozing, and Rose was struggling to keep her eyes open.

"Is your Dad even gonna be awake?" Rose asked in tired amusement as she looked at the time through bleary eyes.

"He knows we're coming," Alec responded seriously. "He's not going to lock us out."

Rose blinked, and stared at her partner for a few moments. Then, not bothering to explain that she knew perfectly well Donald wouldn't lock them out, she peered out the window through the inky darkness.

"Well, at least Tony will be pleased," Rose mused quietly, yawning. "He's never been out of the country before." She paused. "Neither have I."

"It's Scotland," Alec replied with a slight frown, glancing over at Rose. "We didn't even need a passport to get here."

"I know, but point is, we're not in England," Rose told him firmly, before glancing behind her at the sleeping children in the backseat.

Even Freya was deep asleep now, head lolling in a position Rose was sure was uncomfortable. Both the boys hadn't even stirred, though little Oliver's hands were clenching and unclenching around the blanket Rose had tucked around him after they'd gotten back in the car at the service station.

When they eventually pulled up to a house, the lights were still on. It was a decent sized house, Rose noted, and she assumed that it was the house Alec had grown up in. Surely too big for Donald now that he was on his own, but she supposed that it assured him that Alec and Freya would come visit, and now Rose, Tony and Oliver too. A light was on in the sitting room, and Alec had hardly even switched the engine off before the front door was opening and Donald was hurrying across his gravel drive to meet them.

"Thought you wouldn't make it, lad," Donald told his son with a wry grin as he hugged Alec to him, taking advantage of the fact he was still only halfway out of the car. "The News has been saying the traffic's pretty bad."

"Atrocious," Alec agreed as he pulled away from his Dad and freed his left leg from the car. "It took so long all the kids fell asleep, Freya included."

Donald chuckled at that, moving round the car to give Rose a welcome hug.

"Well, you can't blame them, lad," Donald told his son with a smirk. "Surprised you yourself didn't fall asleep too!" Then, he turned back to Rose. "He was always doing that as a wee lad; we couldn't take him on a trip without him dozing off in the car."

Alec rolled his eyes, but didn't protest as Donald continued telling Rose about Alec's childhood. Alec took the opportunity to wake Freya then, helping the teenager out of the car as she yawned widely. Donald had moved to help pull the luggage out of the boot of the car, the bags of presents and Oliver's nappy bag coming first, followed by the pushchair and all their suitcases. Alec and Freya moved round to help carry the items towards the house, while Rose lifted her sleeping son out of the car.

"Leave Tony for a minute," Alec instructed as he headed towards the house. "I'll come back and carry him in in a minute."

True to his word, Alec dumped Oliver's pushchair, the nappy bag and the suitcase he'd taken and quickly returned to lift the sleeping boy from the car. Freya and Donald were dealing with Tony's and Freya's suitcases, and the presents, so Alec locked the car up and followed his Dad inside.

"We're going to take the boys on up, Dad," Alec announced as they stepped into the house. "What rooms are they in?"

"I've put Tony in the small bedroom," Donald responded, "and the travel cot's in your old room, where you and Rose will be. Freya's in her usual room."

Alec nodded, grabbing Tony's suitcase and starting up the stairs. Rose hurried to follow, grabbing the nappy bag before making her way up the stairs after her partner.

**~StormWolf10~**

It wasn't long after that Freya went to bed too, trailing up the stairs as she dragged her suitcase behind her. All the kids safely upstairs, the conversation turned to the Christmas presents that were now under the tree in the main sitting room.

"I'm glad you agreed to it, lad," Donald said with a smile, watching Alec. "I'm sure the kids will love it."

"I still can't believe I bloody let you talk me into getting the kids a puppy," Alec grumbled, ignoring Rose's smirk as she sat beside him on the sofa.

"You loved animals as a wee one," Donald recalled with a grin. "Right until you slept round that Fergus' house and his dog sat on your face before weeing in your sleeping bag."

"He could've smothered me," Alec protested bitterly, glaring at Rose as she laughed. "Don't know what the bloody thing was doing in the bedroom anyway."

"I'm guessing the puppy will be staying downstairs, then?" Rose asked with a grin.

"Yes," Alec scowled, sniffing before taking a sip of his rapidly cooling tea.

Donald just shook his head, still chuckling to himself.

"Anyway," Donald began suddenly, "did you ever find out what had caused the argument between Tony and that lad Tom?"

Rose nodded.

"People had been saying stuff to Tom at school, apparently," Rose sighed, shifting against Alec. "Wouldn't let him in the football team unless he stopped hanging around with Tony." She paused. "It's all sorted now, of course. Ellie made him come round and apologise."

"Good," Donald nodded. "He seemed a nice enough lad when I met him, it's just a shame they're so easily influenced by kids at school."

Alec nodded in agreement at that.

"I think I'd rather Oliver stayed little," Alec admitted with a slight smirk. "I don't really want to think about him being at secondary school yet."

Rose smirked, before nodding in agreement.

"He's so little at the moment," Rose agreed with a smile. "Hard to believe he'll be as big as Tony someday."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: In which Rose gets upset, Freya gets annoyed, and Bea makes an entrance…**

When Rose came downstairs the next morning, still in her pyjamas and her hair a mess, Alec had already taken Oliver down. Assuming that her partner was sorting breakfast for the children, she headed to where Donald had told her the kitchen was. And stopped dead in the doorway.

"She's a bit young for you, isn't she, Alec?"

Rose blinked and stared at the woman who was apparently making herself at home in the middle of Donald's large rustic kitchen. Alec just glared.

"That's enough, Bea," he ground out in annoyance. "Just tell us why you're here and then leave us alone."

Pulling her dressing gown just that little bit tighter around herself and attempting to tame her hair somewhat, Rose stared at the woman. So this was Bea, Freya's mother and Alec's ex. There was a man stood in the corner of the kitchen, holding a toddler in his arms, her brown hair in pigtails. She guessed that that was Neil and Maisie, and judging by the pout on Freya's face, Rose figured she was right.

"Anyway," Bea announced suddenly, pointedly turning away from Rose to glare at Alec, arms folded across her chest, "as I was saying. Why weren't we told that Freya would be in Glasgow for Christmas? I'm her mother! I should have been told!"

"_You_ threw her out," Alec responded as he bounced Oliver in his arms. "And, in case you'd forgotten, Freya's not a little girl anymore, she's legally an adult, and if she didn't tell you then she clearly didn't want you to know."

Bea bristled at that, and Neil started forward from where he'd settled himself in the corner with Maisie. He straightened up, jaw clenched as he glared at Alec, doing a very good job- in Rose's opinion, at least- of looking menacing, even with two year old Maisie in his arms.

"Didn't want me to know?" Bea scoffed, eyebrow arched. "More like you let your little tart here brainwash my daughter!"

Bea nodded over to Rose to make her point about just who the 'little tart' was. Tony frowned in confusion, while Freya glared at her Mum.

"I'd watch your tongue while you're in my house," Donald ground out suddenly, stepping forward from where he'd been quietly observing the conversation. "I tolerated you before, aye, and you may be the mother of my granddaughter, but I don't have to put up with your insults!"

Bea looked unfazed at the threat, but Neil let Maisie slide to the ground, glaring as he stepped towards Donald.

"Rose did nothing to Freya," Alec responded, fighting to keep his temper under control as Oliver began to squirm, upset, in his father's arms. "She's always supported Freya in whatever she wanted to do." He paused. "Which is more than can be said for you."

Ignoring the statement entirely, Bea finally turned to talk to her daughter directly, who was sat at the breakfast table with Tony.

"Well, you'll have to come and spend New Year with us, then," Bea stated, ignoring Freya's attempts to protest. She glanced distastefully at the now wailing Oliver, who Rose was hurriedly taking from Alec. "You're spending all Christmas with that screaming… _thing_, and yet you're neglecting your sister." She sniffed. "Your grandparents always said your father would be a bad influence on you."

"Freya's capable of making her own decisions whether or not she'd like to join Neil and you," Rose cut in suddenly, bouncing her crying son as she glared at Bea. "Although, after the way you've spoken to her- and us- I wouldn't be surprised if she refused. And," Rose continued before Bea could cut in with some snide remark, "I agree that Freya should spend some time with Maisie here, but I resent you even suggesting that Oliver is any less Freya's sibling than your daughter is!"

Bea watched Rose steadily for a few moments, before glancing over at Tony.

"It was a shame," Bea announced with a cold smile, "about what happened to your parents. To lose your father and be left with a young brother to care for… Must have been difficult." She paused then, examined her nails. "Although you've certainly fallen on your feet. Found yourself a partner with a house, a steady job, money…" She raised her eyes then, to meet Rose's horrified gaze. "And of course, he's quite a bit older, isn't he?"

"Are you honestly suggesting," Alec cut in angrily, starting forward as he glared at his ex-wife, "that Rose is with me because I own a bloody house?! Have you seen it!" He shook his head, teeth grit. "No, Bea, that's something _you_ would do, not Rose. Because unlike you, she will always put Oliver before herself. She'll put Tony and Freya before herself, too!" Alec shook his head again, disgusted. "But you don't even seem to care."

There was an awkward silence then, only filled with some babbling from Maisie and Oliver's quietening sobs.

"I told you this was a bloody waste of time," Neil hissed to Bea suddenly.

"Yeah," Freya piped up suddenly, still glaring, "it was. If you think I'm gonna come to yours after the way you spoke to Dad, and to Rose, then you can forget it, Mum. I'll see Maisie, I'll spend some time with her, but not you two." Freya shook her head then, angry tears welling in her eyes. "You can't ever just be nice for once, can you, Mum? Everything has to be about Dad, about how you think he's such a terrible father, and how Rose is only with him for his money!" Freya was on her feet then, starting towards her Mum as she jabbed a finger at her, eighteen years of frustrations coming to a head. "Well, I bloody live with them, Mum, and he's not a terrible Dad, and Rose isn't with him for the house, or his money, or his job! They're together because they love each other, and Tony couldn't have a better big sister, Oliver couldn't have better parents." She paused then, meeting her Mum's gaze steadily, voice going quiet but determined. "I couldn't ask for better parents."

**~StormWolf10~**

Donald eventually had enough of Bea and Neil, and began ushering them to the door shortly after Freya's rant. Rose hung back, a quietened Oliver in her arms as the little boy huddled against Rose's fluffy dressing gown, and even though they were a little way back from everyone else, Bea still made the point of meeting Rose's gaze from where she was stood at the front door.

"It's a shame," Bea mused coldly, eyes settling on Oliver. "He looks like such a sweet little lad. It's so degrading for him to be born to a mother from a council estate."

Both Donald and Freya started forward then, angrily, as Alec moved to shield his partner and son from Bea's view, ushering them and Tony back to the kitchen. Bea swept out then, Donald pointedly slamming the door behind the woman before muttering something in Gaelic under his breath.

When they eventually all got seated at the breakfast table, Alec handling Oliver's breakfast as he'd recently started on solids and preferred to wear his meals rather than eat them, Tony struck up conversation through a mouthful of cereal.

"Wha's a tart?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Rose responded automatically, frowning at her brother. "And never you mind about that."

Tony looked like he was about to speak again, but Rose went back to her breakfast, slumped in her chair as she sat quietly.

"Why does it matter that we were born on the Powell Estate?" Tony asked again suddenly. Then, he frowned. "An' I thought we were both born in hospital?"

"She meant that you'd grown up there, lad," Donald explained calmly. "And it shouldn't matter. Doesn't matter, not to us. Bea was just being rude."

"But if it doesn't matter, why did Bea bring it up?" Tony asked again in confusion.

Donald opened his mouth, but before he could speak, there was a clatter as Rose dropped her spoon into her bowl, got to her feet, and fled the room. The others watched her go in silence.

"I'll go," Alec sighed after the initial shock wore off.

Oliver had about finished his breakfast, so Donald took him while Alec went in search for Rose. Certain he'd heard her heading upstairs, Alec headed up to their room. When he pushed open the door, Rose was sat on the edge of the bed, shoulders slumped and brow furrowed, eyes brimming with tears.

"Rose?" Alec asked quietly, crossing the room to sit beside her. Rose sniffed, trying not to cry, and Alec sighed. "Come on, love," he told her quietly as he slipped an arm around her. "Don't get upset. It's not worth it. _Bea's_ not worth it."

Rose sniffed again, shaking her head.

"It's just…" she began, before pausing and starting again. "It's the fact she tried to suggest that Oliver was… Less. Less of a sibling than Maisie was, as if my being born on a council estate meant that I'd, I'd _tarnished_ him, or somethin'. Like he's worth less 'cause I didn't grow up in a big house like you did." Rose waved a hand around the room then. "'Cause you had all this, an' I had a little bedroom in a council flat."

Alec pressed a kiss to Rose's forehead then, eyes closing momentarily.

"You do know that I don't believe a word of what Bea said, aye?" Alec asked quietly. When he received no response, he continued. "And Dad doesn't believe it either, or Freya. Bea's just being bitter, that Freya chose us over her."

"Not difficult to see why," Rose muttered suddenly.

Alec snorted then, chuckling, and Rose raised her head to give him a small smile.

"I'm beginning to see why your Dad didn't like her," Rose admitted softly.

"Aye," Alec agreed. "I'm beginning to wonder what I ever saw in her."

There was a pause then, a silence neither seemed willing to fill.

"Oliver isn't any less," Alec announced suddenly. "You know that, don't you? He and any other children we may have are no less Freya's siblings than Maisie is." He pulled away then to look Rose in the eyes. "It doesn't matter whether you were born in a South London council estate, or bloody Buckingham Palace, Rose. I love you, and I love our son, and I would regardless of where you were born, ok?"

Rose managed a nod then, and a slightly happier smile.

"Now," Alec began again, getting to his feet and offering Rose his hand, "we'd better get downstairs before your brother talks my Dad's ear off!"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: In which Christmas Day is had, the kids get their surprise present, and Freya drops a bombshell...**

They'd been in Scotland five days by the time it was Christmas Day. Bea's visit four days prior had left a somewhat dark cloud over the house, even despite Donald's best efforts to cheer them all up. Rose was still furious that Bea had even suggested that Oliver was less of a sibling to Freya despite it being Bea herself who had made a point of telling Maisie that Freya was only her 'half-sister'. Alec had done his best to assure his partner that Bea merely felt threatened by the fact Freya spent more time with Oliver than Maisie, and that she was furiously back-tracking and trying to ignore that she'd ever said those things about Freya. It seemed that Bea didn't like the idea of Alec moving on from her and starting another family, even if she herself had already done that long ago.

On Christmas Eve, despite the chaos, Donald encouraged Tony to leave out a glass of milk and a mince pie for Santa, as well as a carrot for Rudolph the night before, and hung all their stockings above the fireplace in the sitting room. The eight year old boy had been a bit sceptical of the whole process, muttering something about the presents being left out by Alec rather than a man in a red suit, but Alec kept quiet while Freya and Rose suppressed knowing smirks.

On Christmas Day, Alec and Rose were woken first by an attention-seeking Oliver, and then by an eager Tony, who wanted his presents. They trailed downstairs at just gone half seven in the morning, Tony heading straight for the presents while Donald made tea and coffee, and Freya curled up somewhat sleepily on the sofa. Baby Oliver seemed oblivious to the occasion, more interested in getting a bottle and some breakfast rather than opening presents.

"Find some presents for Freya and Oliver while you're there," Alec told Tony as he watched him dig through the pile of presents.

Tony dutifully brought over a few presents to Freya, along with her stocking, and did the same for Oliver, who was sat on Rose's lap having some breakfast. While the little boy paid no attention to the presents being placed at his Mum's feet, Tony continued bringing presents over for a little while longer before finally growing bored.

"Aren't you going to open your presents, Freya?" Donald asked as he entered the room with four mugs and a glass of juice on a tray.

He handed them out, pointedly watching Freya as she yawned and pushed herself into a sitting position.

"Dunno why you made me get up this early," she grumbled as she accepted her tea.

"It's _Christmas_, Freya!" Tony responded as he took his juice, frowning slightly in confusion. "Why would you still wanna be in bed?"

The adults all sat around then, watching as Tony unwrapped his presents. When Oliver began wearing his breakfast of pureed apples and porridge rather than eat it, Alec deemed it time to take the bowl away from the boy, and once they'd cleaned him up he and Rose sat on the floor with him. Freya was picking at her presents, refusing to open any while anyone was looking at her, while Tony urged the adults to open some of their presents too. It didn't take long for the floor to be littered with wrapping paper, and by nine o'clock Tony was sitting round looking through the books and toys and DVDs he'd gotten while Oliver seemed more interested in the boxes. All the adults' presents were stacked up neatly as they sat around talking.

"Do you think now's the time?" Donald asked Rose suddenly, voice little more than a whisper.

Rose paused, glancing at Tony as he flicked through the last of the books he'd been bought, and then at Freya as she fiddled with her phone. Alec was with Oliver on the floor, trying to get him interested in the soft toys rather than the packaging, but it didn't seem to be working. Finally, she turned back to Donald and nodded. The man grinned, and got to his feet.

"Where's Granddad going?" Freya asked, looking up with a frown as her Granddad disappeared from the room.

"Checking on dinner," Rose replied smoothly.

Freya nodded, seeming to accept the excuse. Donald was gone for some time before, finally, they heard him approaching again. And this time he wasn't alone. Tony looked up at the strange noise, before his eyes widened in disbelief and excitement as Donald entered the room, a black cocker spaniel puppy at his heels.

"Merry Christmas, lad," Donald told Tony with a grin, letting the puppy bound over to the eight year old.

"You mean it's mine?" Tony asked in surprise.

"Well," Donald responded with a smile, "yours and Freya and Oliver's, yeah? He's for the three of you to share."

Grinning, Tony turned to Freya.

"What should we call him?" he asked excitedly, before giggling as the puppy licked his hand.

Freya watched in amusement for a few moments, before shrugging and moving to sit on the floor with Tony, holding her hand out to the pup.

"What do you think a good name for him would be?" Freya responded as she scratched the pup behind his ear.

Tony thought hard then, biting his lip as he frowned at the puppy in front of him.

"I think," Tony began slowly, "that we need to get to know him first."

"Sounds like a plan," Freya told the boy with a grin.

**~StormWolf10~**

By the time Christmas dinner was ready, Freya and Tony had settled on naming the cocker spaniel pup Hamish. It had been Tony's idea, and Freya had agreed that it suited their new pet, happily approving the name choice. Little Oliver was fascinated with Hamish, although he seemed intent on dragging the puppy over to him, and the poor pup was getting really frustrated with being pulled about. Still, Hamish eventually got some rest as the kids filed into the dining room for dinner, and Rose couldn't help but stop and stare at the amount of food on offer.

"Hasn't your Dad gone a little…Overboard?" Rose asked Alec quietly in concern.

Alec merely shrugged, settling Oliver into the highchair Donald had bought for their stay.

"Dad likes to cook," Alec responded, "and he doesn't see us that often."

In Rose's eyes, there was still a ridiculous amount of food on the table, ready for them to help themselves. Tony was already piling food onto his plate, and Rose could tell he'd either leave most of it or end up being sick during the night.

"I think that's enough for now, eh, lad?" Donald chuckled, pulling Tony back from the potatoes as he noticed Rose's worried look. "The food's not going anywhere; you can always help yourself to more later on."

Tony scowled, but reluctantly nodded and began tucking into his food. After a minute or two of silence as everyone tucked into their food- except for Oliver, who was babbling and banging his hands against the tray of his highchair as Rose attempted to feed him- the conversation turned to events in Broadchurch.

"How's work going, Freya?" Donald asked his granddaughter, watching her from across the table.

"Alright," Freya responded, before grinning excitedly. "They're training me up to be a personal trainer now. They think that by the summer I'll be able to take some clients on."

"Well that'll be good," Donald nodded, smiling. "Will you stay there or move to another job when you've trained?"

"Probably stay for a bit," Freya admitted, wrinkling her nose slightly. "But I know we've already got half a dozen personal trainers at the gym, so I might look for somewhere else. Might have to move out of Broadchurch for it, but ideally I want to be at a gym with less personal trainers."

Alec opened his mouth to speak, to point out to Freya that she hadn't mentioned anything to Rose or himself about moving out of Broadchurch, about leaving home, but then Tony managed to rather spectacularly spill the gravy across Donald's tablecloth and the moment was gone.

"Tony!" Rose sighed, already moving to stand, to find something to mop the mess up with.

Donald just chuckled while little Oliver giggled and clapped at the mess his Uncle had created.

"It's no bother," Donald assured Rose with a smile. "Sit down and we'll mop it up afterwards, it's only a wee spill. Besides, the amount of food Freya's spilled across this tablecloth over the years…"

Conversation fell away from Freya's career prospects then, for which the girl was grateful for, as Alec was looking quietly annoyed. Luckily, however, her baby brother was there to provide a distraction, as Oliver chose that moment to grab a handful of his own baby food and hurl it- not very accurately- in the direction of Alec's head.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: In which Alec and Freya have a bit of a talk, and Bea causes more problems.**

The next few days after Christmas were filled with Tony continually asking to take Hamish for a walk, Oliver periodically sticking every one of his Christmas presents in his mouth to chew or suck them, and Alec and Freya bickering about the prospect of Freya leaving home.

"I wasn't going to stay forever, Dad," Freya pointed out wryly, a small smile on her lips as she did the drying up.

Alec merely glanced at her, face passive, up to his elbows in washing up liquid. It was four days since Christmas, and he had hauled Freya off after breakfast to do the washing up, give them time to talk while Rose and Donald kept Tony and Oliver occupied in the sitting room.

"I know," Alec sighed after a lengthy silence. "It's still just… It's strange." He stared at the soap bubbles for a few moments, brow furrowed as he felt Freya's eyes on him. Finally, he lifted his head and met her gaze. "You're still my little girl, you know? I guess I didn't consider you moving out anytime soon."

"You could do with the room, though," Freya told him with a smile. "I know Tony's happy to share, but if you and Rose have any more kids…"

"If we do, it won't be anytime soon," Alec interrupted. "Your brother's barely six and a half months. Besides, we'll be looking to move soon, somewhere with at least four bedrooms."

"That's not the point, Dad, and you know it," Freya sighed, moving to dry some more dishes. "I'm nineteen in a few months; I've got a job, earning a wage. I could rent somewhere; give you and Rose some more space."

"You don't have any furniture-" Alec began protesting weakly.

"I can buy some," Freya responded. "Come on, Dad. I'm sorry I dropped it on you like that, I should have kept quiet, or told you sooner… But I've got to move out at some point, and now's as good a time as ever."

Alec sighed and turned back to the washing up.

"Not for me, it's not," he murmured under his breath.

**~StormWolf10~**

As reluctantly agreed by Bea, Freya was planning to spend some time with Maisie during their stay in Scotland. She'd even bought the little girl a Christmas present. Actually spending time with her, however, was proving difficult, because it was far too cold to take the girl out to the park or somewhere, and she didn't really want to be completely alone with the toddler, but Freya was reluctant to go to her Mum's and Neil's too. It had eventually been decided that Maisie would come to Donald's for the afternoon, to spend some time with Freya in a warm environment where the teenager wasn't left completely on her own with the toddler.

When Bea eventually arrived to drop the girl off, Rose stayed in the sitting room, reluctant to go anywhere near the woman after their last encounter, and Freya had very little to say to her Mum before taking Maisie inside and shutting the door.

Maisie herself was a little whirlwind, reminding Rose of Tony at that age. It seemed she couldn't get into the sitting room quick enough. Steady enough on her feet to run, the little girl was immediately taken with Hamish, although she was a lot more gentle with the puppy than baby Oliver. The small girl had also come with a huge bag of expensive toys and books, none of which really interested her, and there was far too much by any means for the girl to play with in one afternoon.

"Is it wrong of me," Rose began quietly to Alec as they watched Freya helping Maisie unwrap her Christmas present on the floor, "to want her to be less perfect than she is?"

Alec merely smiled. It was proving very difficult to hate little Maisie, and really neither Alec nor Rose wanted to. She was nothing like Bea (and Alec hoped she would stay that way, poor soul), or Neil, and was a sweet, chatty little girl, even if it was mostly just babble. In some ways, it pained Alec to know that Freya would see little of her younger sister, what with the distance between Dorset and Glasgow, but he also knew that Freya wouldn't be able to cope being in such a close proximity to her mother and Neil.

Oliver didn't really know what to make of Maisie, eyes wide as he sat on the floor with his own cuddly toys, watching the older girl clap excitedly as she finally tore the wrapping paper from her present to reveal the doll Freya had bought her.

"You like it, yeah?" Freya asked her younger sister a little nervously.

Maisie nodded, grinning.

"Ta," the girl responded happily, already cuddling the doll close to her chest.

**~StormWolf10~**

Bea arrived earlier than expected to collect Maisie. The little girl and Oliver had eventually made friends, Maisie chattering away to the baby as they shared their toys. That didn't, however, stop Bea from trying to take Maisie early.

"You said she could stay for tea," Freya reminded her Mum accusingly.

Bea merely sniffed, haphazardly throwing Maisie's toys back into her bag.

"If you want to see more of her, you should have taken us up on our offer," Bea responded coldly.

"But you _wanted_ Freya to spend time with Maisie," Rose interrupted quietly, brow furrowed at the woman. "You made a big fuss about wanting her to see her sister, and yet now you're taking her away early. Why?"

Bea glared at Rose, straightening up and glaring down her nose at her.

"I have my reasons," Bea responded, before casting a significant look in Oliver's direction.

Alec snorted and shook his head.

"Come on, Bea," he told her in annoyance. "You never used to be like this. The old you, the you I first married, you'd never have spoken about Oliver, or Rose in that way. And you certainly would never have dreamt of making it clear to Maisie that Freya's her half-sister." Alec paused. "You're bitter, I spent too much time concentrating on work, I get that. But you shouldn't be taking it out on the kids, or Rose."

Bea didn't respond.

"'Cause that's the thing, Mum," Freya piped up, voice quiet but angry. "You wonder why I didn't tell you we were coming to Granddad's for Christmas, but last year when I came up, you made a point of telling Maisie I was only her half-sister, as if I was less just because you and Dad had split up. But now Oliver's in the picture, you want me to be Maisie's full sister…" Freya paused, frowning at her Mum. "It's like you want me to choose between my siblings. Between Maisie and Oliver. You want me to like you and Neil, and Maisie, more than I like Dad and Rose, and Oliver, and even Tony. But I won't do that, Mum. I won't. Because even though you don't want to see it, Oliver's as much my younger brother as Maisie's my younger sister, and I'm not going to choose between them."

The room was silent for several long moments, Tony peeking out from over the edge of a book that Wilf had given him for Christmas. Maisie looked a little perplexed, and Oliver just looked upset. Donald was in the sitting room doorway, arms folded as he watched the events unfold. Finally, Bea spoke.

"Come on, Maisie," she said, holding her hand out to the girl. "We're going."

Maisie got to her feet, the doll Freya had given her still clutched in her arms. The little girl gave a sad look back at Oliver, and then Freya, tears welling in the toddler's eyes as she did as her Mum asked. Moments later, Bea was pulling her from the room. Alec sighed.

"We need to bloody sort this," he muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Rose to hear.

Rose nudged him, pushing him to his feet although Alec was already moving. He gave her a small smile. Although Rose did not like Bea, Alec was at least glad that she wanted things to be sorted out, for Maisie's and Freya's sakes. As Alec made his way into the hall, Bea was getting Maisie into her coat.

"Freya's right, you know," Alec said calmly, watching Bea lift Maisie into her arms. "You can't make her choose between her siblings."

Bea just looked at him, something there in her eyes that Alec quite couldn't put his finger on.

"People used to say that about Freya choosing who to live with after the divorce," Bea responded, a small smile on her lips though her tone was despondent. "You won that, too."

"Bea," Alec sighed in annoyance, "this isn't about winning. This is about our kids, about our kids knowing their siblings. Now, I'm sorry, but Freya's old enough to make her own decisions, I can talk to her and try to persuade her, but ultimately the decision is hers. She wanted to live in Broadchurch with me and Rose, rather than stay in Scotland. I don't know why that was, but that was her choice. She's doing well there, Bea. She's got a job, she's got friends, she wants to get her own flat…"

Alec trailed off then, and Bea just stared.

"I get it," she said eventually, tone still cold. "You won Freya."

Then, Bea turned, heading for the door.

"Bea, that's not-" Alec began in annoyance, growling in frustration.

But Bea was already out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: In which they try to make it home without things going too wrong...**

If Alec had thought it difficult to fit all their stuff into the boot of their car when they'd left Broadchurch, leaving from Glasgow was proving even more difficult. Not only did they have the suitcases and Oliver's pushchair (which had only been used a few times when they'd taken the puppy for walks) to fit in, but also the numerous toys and presents Tony and Oliver had gotten, and Hamish the puppy.

"God knows where this bloody puppy's gonna go," Alec mumbled as he and Rose attempted to load the car.

"Well, he'll just have to sit on Freya's or Tony's lap, won't he?" Rose responded as she lunged to catch a handful of Tony's toys that threatened to fall back out of the boot. "Your Dad says he's already house trained, and we'll need to stop off at service stations anyway."

That was one thing Alec was grateful for about the puppy; Donald had gotten the cocker spaniel off an old friend, and upon explaining it was for Alec's young brother in law, Freya, and his baby son, Donald's friend had been more than happy to house-train the pup so that Alec and Rose didn't have to.

"It's still going to be a bloody nuisance," Alec complained.

"Only until we get back to Broadchurch," Rose pointed out with a small smile at her grumpy partner. "Besides, maybe it'll stop Freya and Tony fiddling with the radio again.

"We can live in hope," Alec sighed, finally slamming the boot shut.

**~StormWolf10~**

Oliver, a little perplexingly, wailed uncontrollably when the time came to say goodbye to Donald. The boy sobbed and kicked as Alec gently lifted him from Donald's arms, Donald chuckling at his grandson's reaction.

"Well," Donald joked as Rose moved to try and soothe the baby, "good to know he doesn't want to leave me!"

"You'll have to come down to Broadchurch again," Rose told him as Alec headed off to strap the still-crying Oliver into his car seat. "Come down for Oliver's first birthday."

"I'd like that," Donald agreed, smiling.

Rose returned the smile happily, just as Tony came running past and heading to the car.

"Have you made sure you've packed all your things, Tony?" Rose asked her brother, turning to face him. "I'm sure Donald doesn't want to be finding your stuff all over his house once we've left."

"It's all packed," Tony responded, clutching a book to his chest that Rose assumed was for the journey home. "Already in the car."

"Are you sure?" Rose asked again.

Tony nodded, and moved round to get into the car. Freya soon followed, trying to bundle Hamish into the car as well.

"If he has left anything, I'll send it down," Donald assured Rose calmly.

Rose smiled gratefully.

"Ready to go, then?" Alec asked suddenly, appearing at Rose's side.

Rose nodded, smiling up at her partner before moving to hug Donald goodbye.

"Remember what I said, yeah?" Rose said as she pulled away with a smile. "We'll be expecting you down for Oliver's birthday!"

"Wouldn't miss it," Donald replied seriously.

Rose grinned, and turned to make her way over to the car, leaving Alec stood awkwardly in front of his Dad.

"So, uh, I'll call when we get back to Broadchurch," Alec told his Dad awkwardly, unsure quite what to say.

Donald nodded, and moved to hug his son goodbye. Alec accepted the hug a little awkwardly, before finally pulling away.

"And I want you to phone if you have any more problems with Bea," Alec told his Dad seriously. "God knows what's going on with that woman, but she's got a problem with me, not you."

"She shouldn't have a problem with any of us at all, lad," Donald pointed out with a sigh. "It was she who cheated on you, not the other way round."

Donald shook his head in confusion then, as Alec nodded.

"Aye," Alec agreed quietly. "But still. She shouldn't be taking it out on you. If she has a problem with me, then she sorts it with me."

**~StormWolf10~**

The journey home was- if possible- even worse than the journey up there. Not only was Oliver wailing again, but Hamish kept whining, and at one point even threw up on Freya's lap. Freya herself spent ages complaining about how her phone had run out of battery, and Tony was trying to keep his book from being chewed by Hamish. And yet again, they were stuck in traffic.

"This is bloody ridiculous," Alec muttered under his breath. "It's New Year's Day!"

"Yeah, but everyone's got to get back home for work, haven't they?" Rose pointed out in slight amusement. "I mean, it's why we're travelling back today."

Alec grunted, and shifted the car forward a few feet as the traffic started up again before grinding to a halt.

"Yeah, well, next year Dad's coming to us," Alec complained.

"Yeah?" Rose asked with a smirk.

Alec blinked, before glancing over at her.

"If that's alright with you," he added uncertainly.

Rose just grinned, and nodded at her partner. She opened her mouth to say something, but Tony got there first.

"Rose, how long till we're home?"

"In this traffic?" Rose responded, brow furrowing slightly. "I think a few more hours. Why?"

There was a pause.

"I need a wee," Tony admitted after a few moments.

Freya groaned in annoyance, and Alec sighed, aware of Rose's eyes on him.

"I'll pull off at the next junction," Alec said tiredly. "It's that or he'll have to go in a bush at the side of the road."

"Yeah, 'cause that's gonna be inconspicuous," Rose muttered under her breath.

"Well, I can't help the traffic, Rose!" Alec snapped in annoyance, before catching himself.

Everyone went silent, and even Oliver had stopped wailing. Alec swallowed, and took a deep breath before speaking again.

"Sorry," he murmured to Rose, reaching for her hand to squeeze it briefly. "Just getting a bit wound up."

Rose nodded, but didn't respond.

**~StormWolf10~**

They finally got back to Broadchurch several hours later, well into the afternoon. They'd stopped at a service station, and Alec had run Tony and Oliver to the toilets so Tony could go to the loo and they could change Oliver's nappy, while Rose kept an eye on Hamish and Freya attempted to peel off her dog-vomit covered jeans and replace them with a pair from her suitcase. Alec had bought lunch, which they'd had to eat in the car because they hadn't been able to take Hamish into the service station, and by the time they'd gotten back onto the road again, the traffic had worsened.

Rose didn't think she'd ever been more relieved to see Broadchurch. As they finally pulled up outside the house, they saw Ellie outside with Fred, who was bundled in his coat and scarf as he kicked a football about. The boy was almost four now, and had grown a lot since Rose and Tony had first moved to the town, and even more so since Alec had moved there. Upon seeing them, the boy grinned and waved, and Tony waved back.

"Return of the Hardy clan," Ellie joked as they got out the car, already moving to hug Rose. "How was your Christmas?"

"It was good, yeah," Rose nodded, choosing to ignore mentioning Bea to Ellie until Freya was out of earshot.

Already, Ellie could tell that Rose was hiding something, but she let it drop as Freya got out of the car, Hamish already bounding about on the driveway.

"Donald got the puppy, then?" Ellie asked with a grin, nodding at the excitable cocker spaniel pup that Fred was trying to pet.

"Yeah," Rose grinned. "Bit of a bother getting him home, though."

"Bloody thing threw up on Freya," Alec added, lifting Oliver out of his car seat. "It stank."

"Yeah, well, at least he didn't throw up on _you_!" Freya complained, glaring at her Dad as she moved to open the boot.

Tony had scrambled out of the car to join Fred and Hamish, and was now eagerly chatting to the younger boy about the puppy. Alec had handed Oliver over to Rose while he and Freya began unloading the boot of the car, and Tom had appeared from Ellie's house at the sound of Hamish's barking. Freya and Alec were already bickering about the best way to unload the boot so nothing fell out, and it wasn't long before Oliver started crying again. Ellie just smirked, shaking her head at the chaos in front of her. The Hardys were back in Broadchurch.


End file.
